Thousands of events are being held worldwide to mark the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. A handful of European countries first marked the day in 1911 following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. The United Nations has recognized March 8th as International Women’s Day since 1975. Kavita Ramdas of the Global Fund for Women joins us to discuss the history of International Women’s Day, the most...

Egyptian novelist Ahdaf Soueif took part in Egypt’s revolution and was in Cairo’s Tahrir Square nearly every day of the 18-day popular uprising. She joins us in our studio to discuss the revolution and its significance. “Almost overnight a civic space was created in Tahrir Square that was the ideal space, that one imagined, that everybody imagined, how the country should be or how any country should be,” Soueif says. “Everybody was finding the...

Since forces loyal to Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi began violently cracking down on the popular uprising weeks ago, many of Libya’s migrant workforce attempted to flee the country. Of Libya’s estimated 2.5 million foreign workers, the United Nations estimates that at least 200,000 workers have fled the country since the fighting began—and that number is expected to double. Thousands of workers are congregating at Libya’s border...

Forces loyal to Col. Muammar Gaddafi have launched fresh air strikes on Libyan towns captured by anti-government opposition in a popular uprising over the past two weeks. Gaddafi has lost control of the eastern half of Libya, and thousands of protesters are thought to have been killed by Gaddafi’s forces. We get reports from two journalists on the ground in Libya: McClatchy’s Nancy Youssef in Brega, and The Observer’s Peter...

No discussion or debate over budgets, over wages and pensions, over deficits, should happen without a clear presentation of the costs of these wars—and the incalculable benefits that ending them would bring.

Forces aligned with Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi have launched new assaults to regain control of several towns captured in a popular uprising over the past two weeks. Meanwhile, two U.S. warships have moved through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea toward Libya under orders by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates. As talk of potential Western military intervention grows, we speak to Horace Campbell, a professor of African American...

While the United States has sharply criticized the Libyan government for brutally cracking down on opposition protesters, it has remained noticeably silent on the recent attacks against Iraqi dissidents. On Friday, tens of thousands of people participated in Iraq’s largest protest in years. Although the protests were largely peaceful, authorities fired water cannons, sound bombs and live bullets to disperse crowds as Iraqi army helicopters...

Reports have emerged of a dire situation on Libya’s borders with Tunisia and Egypt, where tens of thousands have fled to evade the clashes. We speak to Elizabeth Tan of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. [includes rush transcript]

The Libyan regime has launched a new assault on the opposition amidst growing international pressure. Forces loyal to Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi tried to retake two rebel-controlled towns overnight, but both attacks appear to have been repelled. Speaking to Western journalists, Gaddafi said that he is loved by all his people and has denied there have been any protests. We speak to Tareq, a Libyan American just back from Libya after...

Editions

Democracy Now!

Follow

Support Independent News

Democracy Now! is a 501(c)3 non-profit news organization. We do not accept funding from advertising, underwriting or government agencies. We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work. Please do your part today.